The 1,000 Dreams Fund is a national scholarship fund that provides young women with funding to help fulfill their professional needs. (Screenshot)

The 1,000 Dreams Fund is a national scholarship fund that provides young women with funding to help fulfill their professional needs. Christie Garton, the founder of 1,000 Dreams Fund, got her start as an author and social entrepreneur.

Now, the self proclaimed “college life expert” and her staff are hosting the #FundMyTrip contest, from which one young woman will be awarded $500 toward her dream trip.

“We wanted to find an easy way to help young women with an extra curricular need get the funding to follow their dream,” Garton said. “That is what the 1,000 Dreams Fund and #FundMyTrip are about.”

Garton drew inspiration for the contest from her own past.

“My dream in college had been to study abroad at some point, but I simply could not afford to do it… I was lucky enough to win a scholarship to study abroad for a full year,” Garton continued. “Those kinds of experiences build on each other and open doors for young women.”

There are few restrictions for the #FundMyTrip contest and the application process is simple: Use the #FundMyTrip on twitter or Instagram to submit a photo of yourself with a caption that states where you want to go and why.

There is also a link to an application on the 1,000 Dreams Fund Facebook page.

“I like the sound of the scholarship, but the website kind of looks like a scam to me,” eighth-semester elementary education major, Jessica Stargardter said. “I hope to go abroad as a grad student and I plan to use scholarships to help get me where I want to be, so anything like this piques my interest.”

“We think studying abroad is part of what makes a woman well-rounded,” Garton said. “Our last winner won $1000 and turned around and really made a difference in her community.”

The most recent contest held by 1,000 Dreams Fund was called #1000Dreams. The winner received more than 1,000 votes.

“The truth is, travel is expensive and students want to travel. I expect this to be successful,” Garton said.

The contest – open to women only – was launched in partnership with U Chic LLC, a lifestyle brand that Garton started in 2008.